1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an extender, and more particularly to an extender for coupling an electrical device to a backplane and featured with a ground contact simultaneously interconnecting the electrical device, the backplane, and a circuit substrate on which the extender is mounted.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,150 issued to Tang et al. on Jun. 6, 2000, discloses an extender (10) including a male section (12) and a female section (14) assembled together to be coupled between a female connector on a backplane in the computer and a male connector on a hard disk drive for establishing signal transmission between the hard disk drive and the backplane through the interconnections of such male and female sections. Specifically, the female section defines a female interface adapted for mating with the male connector from the hard disk drive, the male section defines an opposite male interface adapted to mate with the female connector from the backplane of the computer, and a plurality of contacts are configured to extend from the female interface towards the male interface for electrically connecting the female section with the male section. This configuration typically enables the female or male interface to supply one voltage for the male connector of the hard disk drive, or the female connector of the backplane.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,774 issued to Wu on Jul. 19, 2005 discloses an electrical connector (1) includes a dielectric housing (2) including front and rear housing portions (20, 22) each defining a number of juxtaposed channels (202) therein and an intermediate housing portion (24) interconnecting the front housing portion with the rear housing portion. A number of elongate circuit boards (3) are side by side retained in the housing along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The circuit boards include front and rear mating edges (30, 32) respectively received in the channels of the front and the rear housing portions for mating with complementary components.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,434 issued to Wu on Dec. 16, 2003 discloses an extender (10) includes a female portion (12) and a male portion (14) adapted to be back-to-back assembled. The female portion comprises a first housing (16) defining two slots (28) and a plurality of first contacts (18, 19). A plurality of first passageways (30) is defined in the first housing and communicates with the slots. The first contacts are retained into the first passageways. The male portion comprises a second housing (40) having a pair of tongues (46) and a plurality of second contacts (41). The tongues define a plurality of positioning slits (52, 53) for receiving the second contacts. Each of the first contacts is aligned and cooperated with a corresponding second contact to form a transmission path. Two pairs of latch devices (35, 60) are provided on opposite ends of the female portion and male potion for fastening each other.
In the past, the electrical device, such as a hard disk data storage, and a backplane on which the device is electrically interconnected, generally carry the same voltage, i.e. both are operated under the substantially identical working environment. However, when data transmission rate becomes faster and faster, their working environments have to change also so as to meet the requirements.
Among the contact terminals provided within the extender, some of them are assigned for transmitting data, and some of them are designated for providing power or working voltage from the backplane to the hard disk drive. In the past, both the hard disk drive and the back plane are operated under the same working voltage, typically 5 VDC. However, when the spindling speed of the hard disk drive become faster and faster, their working voltage is also increased from 5 VDC to 12 VDC.
The present problem the users confront, is that the female or male interface substantially requires an electronic device of a first predetermined voltage to be equipped therewith, while the electronic component available for the users has a second predetermined voltage. In other words, the conventional configuration has no capability to provide a flexible connection to different types of electronic devices, which may require voltages of different amounts.
In the previously filed '814 application, applicant initiated a novel design such that a first mating interface of an extender can be supplied a first working voltage, and a second mating interface of the extender can be supplied with a second working voltage transformed by a circuitry provided by the extender, and which is different to the first working voltage, and which indeed meets the current requirements and resolve the issues.
Currently, the hard disk drives available in the market can be operated under two different working voltages, i.e. 5 VDC and 12 VDC. On the other hand, the working voltage provided from the backplane can be either 5 VDC and 12 VDC. Unless there is an transforming arrangement on the extender, it is very much likely that the hard disk drive may not properly and functionally work along with the backplane, if the working voltages therebetween are different.
In addition, when the requirement regarding to the data transmission rate becomes higher and higher, differential pair of signal contacts are used, and once the differential pair of contacts are used, grounding or shielding of the differential pair of contacts becomes a new challenge to resolve. None of the above described prior arts consider the use of differential pair of contacts. In addition, a grounding arrangement between the first and second mating interfaces, and a circuit substrate on which the extender is mounted is not provided as well.